Way With Words
by Jenn1984
Summary: Shawn tells the story of his proposal to his eight year old daughter.


This is because I've promised Jash I would write something like this for the longest time now. And I was making lunch and the idea popped into my head.

This is unbetaed, so all mistakes are mine.

Disclaimer: I don't own Psych.

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**"Emily, sweetie, have you brushed your teeth?"**

Shawn Spencer knocked on the door frame of his eight year old daughter's bedroom and peaked his head around in time to see her jump up and shove something underneath her mattress. Her damp blond hair hung in waves around her face and big blue eyes stared innocently up at him. It amazed Shawn just how much she resembled her mother.

Which he knew was the reason she got away with as much as she did.

"Hey Dad," she said sweetly. Maybe a little _too _sweet.

With a suspicious smile, Shawn asked, "What are you up to in here, Em?"

Emily just shrugged. "Nothing, just waiting for you to tell me when it's time for bed."

Walking around to stand in front of her, Shawn kept his eye on that grin; the one he had perfected as a child. It was a little unnerving to see it now on his daughter.

"Since when do you wait patiently for me to tell you when it's bedtime? You're usually long gone by now, hiding." He reached out and stuck his hand under Emily's mattress and the little girl squeaked in protest.

"Doing something you're not supposed to be doing?" Shawn added, his hands wrapped around something hard. He pulled out the object his daughter clearly didn't want him to see and furrowed his eyebrows.

His and Juliet's wedding photo.

Emily rolled her eyes and started to pout with arms crossed over her chest, and Shawn wasn't exactly sure why.

"Honey, why are you trying to hide mine and your mothers' wedding picture?" Shawn asked as he sat on Emily's bed. She climbed up next to him.

"Mom doesn't like when I mess with the stuff in your room," she said with a sigh. "I didn't wanna get in trouble."

Shawn laughed. "I'm sure I can figure out a plan to make sure you don't get in trouble for this one, Em." She smiled and pulled the picture from his hands, eyes shining.

"Daddy?" she asked softly. "How did you ask Mom to marry you?"

Surprised, Shawn sat up straight and rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. "Oh, why are you interested in that?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders again. "I dunno. My teacher got flowers today and then her boyfriend came at lunch and asked her if they could get married."

_Ah_, Shawn thought. "Alright honey, well," he began, "you know Mommy and I work for the police, right?"

Emily nodded as she snuggled closer, burrowing her head into Shawn's arm. He felt his stomach twist a little and realized he would probably buy her a pony right now if she asked.

"So, years ago, Mom and I were put undercover on a very important case. Like a secret mission," Shawn began, keeping his voice low. Emily smiled with excitement.

"We had to try and get close to the _evil_ boss of a very deadly group of assassins. They were planning to kill the Governor of California, and your mom and I had to stop them." Shawn snickered when Emily's eyes grew twice their normal size. "There were spies all around us, we didn't know who we could trust. But after only a week, I convinced the leader to trust me and became his right hand man."

"Is that because you talk in circles, like Mommy always says?" Emily asked with a nod.

Shawn snorted. "When did Mom say that?" he asked.

"Whenever you guys fight. She says you talk a good game, but she could take you down with the flick of her wrist." Emily looked thoughtfully up at her father. "What does that mean? Cause I tried it on my bear and it didn't work." She shook her wrist and frowned.

Shawn had to turn his head for a moment to keep from laughing out loud. He would have to talk to Juliet later about her tendencies to mumble things around their very observant eight year old.

"So what happened after that?" Emily asked. She was on her knees now, her arms tightly wrapped around Shawn's own arm.

"Well," Shawn continued, "Mom and I finally had all the information we needed to put this guy and all his goons in prison forever. But," Emily leaned closer, "he found out we were working for the police and sent his thugs after us!"

Emily gasped. "What happened?! Dad, how did you guys escape?!"

Shawn stood up and went to the window. "We were trapped in their warehouse, on the top floor, 300 feet in the air!" He looked out the window and then dashed to the other side of the room, Emily following his every movement.

"We needed backup, but we didn't have time to call the police. So I sent Gus an urgent text message, and I knew he would know what to do." Shawn ran around the room.

"We ran up the stairs, to the roof!" He jumped on top of Emily's toy chest and the little girl squealed in excitement. "Mom bolted the door shut, but we could hear the bad guys pounding on it, calling out to us. So I grabbed your mother." Shawn stood straight and pulled a pretend Juliet close to him. "I looked her in the eyes, and I said, 'Jules, we might not make it out of this alive.'"

Emily had her hands in fists over her mouth as she wiggled around on her knees. Shawn smiled at her and continued.

"'Jules we might not make it out of this alive. I want you to know that I love you more than anything in this entire world.'" He bent down, holding a pretend Juliet's hand in his. "Jules, will you marry me?"

Emily's face turned red and she squeaked so loud Shawn was sure the neighbor's dog had heard her.

"Then what?!" she cried, wavy locks bouncing around, along with her.

Shawn's face grew serious. "That's when we heard the shots. One, two, three, _BANG BANG BANG_, coming from behind the door!" Emily's hands shot up to cover her mouth. But Shawn started to grin.

"They made it through, they were coming straight toward us," he said with a low voice. Then he stood back up on the toy chest. "They were smiling, their teeth were rotten because they never listened when their mommy's told them to brush their teeth. This is why dental hygiene is so important, you don't wanna grow up to have-"

Emily groaned. "Come on, Dad, focus! What happened to you and Mom?"

Shawn cleared his throat. "Right. Well, they were coming toward us with their guns, and one of them said, 'Any last words?'" Emily nodded fiercely, urging him to continue.

"And your mom and I looked at each other and smiled." He stood up to his full height on the toy chest, his heels hanging off the edge. "'Sorry to cut this short, guys' I said." Shawn whipped around and jumped off the edge of the toy chest. Emily gasped loudly.

Then Shawn popped back up, pretending to hold onto something. "Good thing Gus wanted to learn how to be a pilot back then, because a few seconds later, Mom and I went soaring over the thugs' heads, hanging off the bottom of the helicopter's rope ladder!"

"Ooh!" Emily yelled.

"Yes!" Shawn yelled back, falling next to her on the bed. She jumped into his lap.

"Just in time to see Lassie and the guys burst through the door and arrest the bad guys," Shawn added with a triumphant smile. "And as your mom and I were flying over the city, she looked up at me and said, 'The answer is yes, by the way.'" He pulled Emily into a tight hug and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"She never looked more beautiful," he added with a whisper. Emily snuggled closer.

Shawn sat there with her for a minute, drinking in the soft arms draped around his neck before finally pulling away.

"Alright jellybean, into bed now, you have a test tomorrow." He pulled down the covers and Emily climbed under them.

"Dad?" she asked. Shawn bent low and kissed her forehead and Emily put her hands on both his cheeks, looking him straight in the eyes. "You're the best dad, and I bet Mommy wouldn't _really _try to take you down."

Shawn couldn't help it this time and let out a loud laugh. Emily giggled with him.

"Goodnight Em," he said and after another kiss, he turned and shut the light, closing the door softly behind him as he left.

"That was quite a story."

Shawn jumped and spun on his heels to see his wife leaning against the bathroom door across from Emily's room. She walked over to him and draped her arms over his shoulders. "But you forgot a few details."

Shawn smiled, wrapping his arms around her back. "Oh yeah?" he asked, planting a kiss on her lips.

Juliet licked her bottom lip and nodded. "Like how you were so nervous that you left the ring at your office."

Shawn shrugged and kissed her again.

"Mmhmm," Juliet continued, "And how you set the backyard on fire with all the candles underneath that canopy you set up? I remember that _very _clearly."

Shawn was starting to grin. "It signified our blazing love for one another," he said, moving them closer to their bedroom, turning out the hall light as they went along.

Juliet continued kissing him. "And what would the ambulance signify? Or the concussion you gave yourself trying to put the fire out before the fire department came?"

"Your love is strong, Jules." he said. Juliet just laughed.

"What kind of wild story are you going to come up with for this one?" she asked, placing Shawn's hand on her very pregnant belly. Shawn looked up thoughtfully.

"I was thinking a safari. Searching for hidden treasure, being chased by hunters riding on the back of giraffes," he said with another kiss. Juliet snorted.

"Only you, Spencer," she mumbled before collapsing with him onto the bed.

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